Tunisia's Central Bank bans all cryptocurrency use since 2018, with prison penalties for violations. Yet it quietly tests blockchain for government services through a regulated sandbox - a stark contrast to global trends.
Central Bank of Tunisia and Crypto Regulations in North Africa
When it comes to Central Bank of Tunisia, the official monetary authority responsible for issuing currency and controlling financial policy in Tunisia. It is also known as Banque Centrale de Tunisie, and it has never officially banned cryptocurrency—but it has made it clear that digital assets are not legal tender and carry no state protection. Unlike Nigeria or Brazil, where crypto adoption forced policy changes, Tunisia’s central bank has stayed quiet, letting market forces and user behavior decide the pace of change.
This silence isn’t indifference. It’s strategy. While the Central Bank of Nigeria, the institution that shifted from banning crypto to regulating it as a financial service became a regional leader, Tunisia’s approach mirrors countries like Algeria and Morocco—where crypto isn’t illegal, but banks are forbidden from processing crypto-related transactions. The central bank digital currency, a state-issued digital form of national money, often used to replace or control private crypto is being explored quietly, likely to keep financial control in government hands. Meanwhile, Tunisians use stablecoins like USDT to send remittances, pay freelancers, and bypass inflation—just like users in Nigeria and Bangladesh.
The gap between official policy and real-world use is wide. You won’t find a single official statement from the Central Bank of Tunisia approving or condemning crypto, but you’ll find dozens of local exchanges, Telegram groups, and P2P traders operating under the radar. The crypto regulation Tunisia, the unofficial rules enforced by banks and payment processors rather than laws is built on fear: if you use crypto, your bank account could be frozen, your identity flagged, or your funds seized under anti-money laundering rules. There’s no law saying you can’t own Bitcoin—but if you try to cash out, you might face consequences.
What you’ll find in this collection are real stories from North Africa’s crypto underground: how traders avoid detection, why stablecoins are the real winners, and how central banks across the region are watching Tunisia’s next move. Some posts show what happens when users push boundaries. Others reveal how regulators quietly tighten the screws. There’s no hype here—just facts from the front lines of a financial war no one officially admitted was happening.